Wayanad Landslide That Killed 5 Was ‘Man-Made Disaster’, Say Kerala Ministers

Two Kerala ministers on Tuesday termed the deadly Wayanad landslide that killed five people a “man-made disaster”, alleging.

That excavated debris from a nearby tunnel project had been dumped in an unscientific manner despite repeated warnings from authorities. The landslide struck after intense rainfall in the area, claiming five lives and injuring six others. Search operations involving teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) remained underway amid fears that more people could be trapped under the debris. Wayanad recorded 256 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours preceding the incident.

‘MAN-MADE DISASTER’, SAY MINISTERS

Kerala Agriculture Minister T Siddique said the government was examining why soil excavated during the tunnel project had been piled up without adequate safety measures.

“The government is investigating why mud taken out of the tunnel project was dumped there without safety measures. Directions had been issued to remove it, but those instructions were not followed,” Siddique said.

He added that similar dumping had taken place near the Wayanad Township project, where houses are being constructed for families displaced by the devastating 2024 landslides.

According to the minister, residents had repeatedly flagged concerns over water flowing from the project site, while eight families living nearby were supposed to have been relocated.

“This was not a natural landslide. It was a man-made disaster caused by the mud dumped after tunnel excavation,” Siddique alleged.

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala echoed the charge, saying the tragedy could have been avoided had the contractor complied with directions from the district administration.

“It is certainly a man-made disaster. If the excavated earth had been removed, this incident would not have occurred. This is an ecologically sensitive region where such work demands extra caution,” Chennithala said.

COMPANY DENIES ANY LAPSE

Infrastructure company Dilip Buildcon, which is executing the tunnel project, rejected allegations that any technical flaw or negligence on its part triggered the landslide.

The company said the project is being carried out in accordance with all engineering, environmental and safety approvals and maintained that there had been no violation of prescribed protocols.

CM SAYS CONTRACTOR IGNORED ORDERS

Chief Minister VD Satheesan said the contractors had been instructed well in advance by Public Works Department Minister PK Basheer and the district collector to remove the large quantity of excavated soil accumulated at the site.

“However, the contractors did not comply with the directions,” he said after reviewing the situation with officials of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) in Thiruvananthapuram.

Footage from the site showed a massive mound of mud collapsing after heavy rain, sweeping away trees and barricades near the construction site before crashing onto the road below. Authorities are continuing rescue operations while investigating the exact cause of the landslide.